Hey everybody!! My name is Jodi (with an I not a Y) Fishbein, but let’s circumvent that whole issue- just call me Jo 🙂

I grew up in Livingston NJ, but am now zocheh to be living in Eretz HaKodesh! I graduated from Yeshivat Frisch, where I proudly repped the Cougars both in hockey and choir all 4 years, like the wannabe Troy Bolton I am. Last year I was lucky enough to spend the year learning in Midreshet Lindenbaum, pounding Gemara till all hours of the night. I’m currently in the middle of Sherut Leumi, doing some cool stuff for some cool people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Back in 2015 I came on YBY (Trip 1!!) as a participant and have been hooked ever since! I spent the following three summers at Morasha Yachad, and I’m thrilled to combine my two favorite things, Israel and Yachad, this summer with all of you!!

I’m psyched to have an English-speaking summer because פשוט אין לי יותר כוח להמשיך לדבר בעברית (I simply don’t have the energy to keep speaking Hebrew). But even in English, when I feel that there isn’t a word that describes what I want to say I kinda just make up my own (yes there’s a whole dictionary of them, and yes, you will probably be hearing many of them over the summer). I love chocolate chip cookies (and know my favorite recipe by heart), can dislocate my shoulders whenever I want, and don’t kill me about this last one, but I’ve actually never seen any of the Disney princess movies.

I can’t wait to spend the summer learning and growing with all of you. יאלהההה יד ביד 2019! Yala Yad B’Yad 2019!